Douglas Community School Soccer Riding High

Soccer in Douglas Community School has never been so strong. Our illustrious past pupil Colin Doyle is doing exceptionally well with Birmingham City in the Coca Cola Championship. Our under fourteen team has qualified for the Munster final. Our under sixteen team has qualified for the All Ireland final! The under sixteen team expect to be playing a team from either Letterkenny or Galway city. The under fourteen team is playing Colaiste Spiorad Naomh from Bishopstown in the Final in Turners Cross on Wednesday at 1.30 pm.

Munster U14 Soccer Semi Final.

On the 19th of April the under fourteen soccer team took on Limerick C.B.S in the Munster Semi final in Limerick. Luke O Sullivan set the pace by running at the vulnerable C.B.S defence. His speed needed a well timed tackle to put the ball out for a corner. The ball was crossed in towards Shaun Healy who heads the ball towards C.B.S goal to be denied by the keeper who touches the ball over. Josh Kra gave a lovely through ball to Andy O Connell who was marginally offside. When everything seemed to be going Douglas’s way, C.B.S got a strike at the edge of the box that went marginally goes wide. Shaun Healy made a brilliant clearance of the line mid way through the half. A Limerick striker hits it from way out and the ball takes a dangerous bounce but is recovered by Cian Hammond. The ref blows the whistle for half time.

As the ref started the second half, C.B.S get off to a great start having one on one with Michael Forrest who prevented a definite goal. Eoghan Cremin breaks up the left wing, running half the length of the pitch and played it to Luke who gave a small flick on the ball so it breaks to Andy O Connell who put the ball home in the top left corner. Graham Cullinan, Eoin Cremin continued to supply the ball to Andy and Darren who applied the pressure on the C.B.S defence. Andrew Lehane is very solid in the defence and stops many of the crosses and starts more attacks up the wing, it was because of this that he deservingly got the man of the match award. Subs-Rob Lehane for Luke O Sullivan, Jack Wilkinson for Michael Forrest and Darren O Sullivan.

All Ireland Under 16 Semi Final

Douglas Community School have reached the final of the Cornmarket Irish junior Boys cup after a thrilling semi final at Hibernian’s FC in Waterford, where they defeated Colaiste Phadraig Lucan in a penalty shootout.

Both sides served up a feast of football with Lucan coming from two goals down to force extra time and taking the lead before Douglas secured an equalizer and penalties.

It was the Cork side that dominated the opening half and they got the perfect start when John Forrest made the most of hesitation from the Lucan defense at a corner and he headed home from close range inside the third minute., the Cork side went two up after 18 minutes when Eoin Murphy slipped a free kick short to Stephen Mahon and he fired through a host of players to the bottom corner. Lucan should have pulled a goal back on the stroke of half time when Abiola Sarrusi made a sweeping run down the left and his excellent cross was met by Ian Scott but his header just flew right of the upright.

The second period was in complete contrast to the first as the Dubliners upped their game and they were rewarded with two goals in three minutes. Eddie Fagan broke behind the Cork back line and he lifted the ball beyond the advancing Edward Finn for their first and Finn could only watch as Rory Kelly fired a magnificent effort to the top corner from 20 yards, just three minutes later.

Colaiste Phadraig seemed to get stronger as the game moved into extra time and they deservedly went in front three minutes into extra time when Fagan got on the end of another long ball over the top and fired past Finn from the top of the penalty area. However the Munster champions refused the give in and they were back on level terms when Jamie Cullen met a corner at the back post and headed home.

The penalty shootout required twenty penalties before the sides were separated â€“ finishing three all after the first five and when Michael Lyons scored his side’s seventh penalty it was left to Ronan Connell to keep Lucan’s chances alive but he could only watch in agony as Finn touched his effort onto the post and the ball spun across the line and away to safety.